I woke up this morning in a good mood. I went about my day off in the usual way, made breakfast, sat down at the dining table to eat it and flipped open the laptop. I started to see posts on Facebook that were rather somber in tone but without much context, and then I saw the news about Dallas.

After the shootings in Baton Rouge, LA, and St. Paul, MN, and now the mass killings in Dallas, TX, I’m even more at a loss than I was yesterday. I know that the USA has problems, every country does, but why is it that we Usonians can’t seem to get past skin color? Why are we so set on causing harm to each other?

So, I don’t know what to do or to say. I see all of the anger from the black and brown communities and I can say that as a white person, as much as I can sympathize – I feel like my opinions aren’t wanted and are not valid because I’m white. But, I believe the anger is justified and changes must happen across the board.

I see many messages saying that the white community will never understand because of the fact that we are white. I can’t speak for the whole white community, but, I presently do not understand from direct experience. But, I do want to understand as much as I can as well as know what I can do to be a part of the solution. I think I’m accurate in saying that many people in the white community feel the same way.

I hope that cooler heads will prevail and the horrible events of this week, let alone the last year (and more) will not cause this country to descend further into chaos. Because chaos begets chaos.

Until then, I will listen to those directly affected for their ideas and solutions to end systemic racism and profiling.

2 Responses to Fancy Coffee Friday: At a Loss

It is frightening…and so unnecessary and unfair to those officers and civilians who were injured or killed. An eye for an eye does not SOLVE anything. I suspect that there are some police officers who are going about their duties and are literally terrified of what they see on a daily basis in some areas. That can’t make life easy for them or their families. Maybe we just all need to look into ourselves and listen to what our hearts tell us.

Equally, there are people in the black and brown communities who are terrified of what they see on a daily basis. But, emotions on all sides are so raw and exposed right now that I fear there will be a lot of reactionary retaliation which horribly unfortunate.

I have learned through where I work that if you are brought up in a situation of violence, abuse, etc., that is what you know and you are more likely to continue that same cycle of violence, abuse, etc., simply because it is familiar and you know no other alternatives. We have millions of people in this country, let alone the world, who are constantly in a state of “flight”, “Fight, and/or “freeze”. ALL sides need to step back and take a good, hard look at the way things are now, what we’d like them to be, and then break the cycle. It can be done, I think, if we all work together.